May our Lord be surrounding you, his peace be yours. Amidst this great storm know you are safe in his arms. May our Lord be above you, may our Lord be behind you, and may our Lord be beside you while you walk hand in hand.
Amen
Thanks to all of our families who joined the beautiful school liturgy for Mrs Barclay. Thanks again to Mrs O'Dwyer and Miss La Fontaine for organising the liturgy and our Year 6 leaders for helping with the readings.
Thank you to all of the children decorating the butterflies in memory of Mrs Barclay. Please bring them into school and they will be added to the special tree in the corridor.
1:1 Chromebook Digital Device Program Year 1-6 2021
We are all feeling sad at the loss of our beloved Mrs Barclay after her 15 month battle with cancer. Michelle joined our school community in 2009 as an energetic, caring and passionate PE teacher. During her time with us, she touched the minds and hearts of numerous children, staff and parents and we miss her dearly.
Class Prayers and a Family Liturgy Thursday 5pm
The children will continue to pray for Michelle and her family as part of morning prayers each day. We also set up a supervised prayer space in the hall for some of the older children to come together during morning break times.
Many of the children have written and drawn reflections about Mrs Barclay. We are going to bind them together into a book for Michelle's husband Mal and her children Lily and Hugo.
Thanks to our Faith and Community Leaders, Marg O'Dwyer and Natalie La Fontaine, who prepared a special prayer liturgy for families to join online via zoom on Thursday 29 October commencing at 5pm.
Below is the link. The waiting room will open at 4:45pm ready for the liturgy to commence at 5pm.
I spoke with Mal Barclay today who again expressed his thanks for the wonderful support his family have received from our community.
Michelle's funeral will be on Monday ( Melbourne Cup school closure day) and it will be live streamed for those who wish to participate. Mal will send us the details once they are finalised and we will share them with all of you.
Counselling available
We are providing a free counselling service through our school based psychologist Lucas Tuan - Mu for any children affected by the sad news. If you feel that your children will benefit from counselling support during this time, please email me directly principal@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au or telephone me at school.
Remembrance Garden and Fitness Circuit
Togetherwith the P & F and based on suggestions from the staff and the children, we are planning to develop a remembrance garden beside the front portico for Mrs Barclay and Mr Strelec and a fitness circuit dedicated to Mrs Barclay.
Thank you
On behalf of the staff, I thank you for your kind messages of support which are greatly appreciated. We will continue to support each other and our children in the coming days.
Thanks to all of our staff who helped to make the welcome back for our children a truly special experience. From the music playing over the loud speakers to the goody bags and the big smiles all around, we are all happy to be back !!
Amidst the fun of being back together, the children completed a range of assessments during the week and the overall results are excellent. We will share further details with you next week.
The highlights back at school for the SRC children included: being back with friends, not having to talk to the teacher on a screen, being able to play sport in the playground and learning new leadership skills.
During the term, we have planned a number of activities to make up for some of the curriculum events that the children missed due to the pandemic. The children would normally be treated to an ice-cream as part of Italian Day. Following on from the excitement of the special welcome back goody bags, the children were able to trade in their ice cream vouchers for a real ice cream today. Wait until we share the ice cream photos with you !!
From Monday 19 October - All children to arrive 8:45-9:00 & finish at 3:30
Thank you to all families for supporting the staggered Week 2 drop off arrangements and helping us to stay Covid safe.
From Monday 19 October, all children can be dropped off between 8:45-9:00. We will still ensure we remain Covid safe by using all both the front, back and side school entry points. All children will finish at 3:30pm.
Parents are asked to remain outside the school grounds apart from pickup time for the Prep - Year 2 children in the front yard when the parents enter through the front gate and exit through the church gate.
Front yard entry and exit - Prep, 1, 2
Back yard entry and exit - Year 3, 4, 5, 6
Parents and Friends (P&F) FREE Icy pole treat for Term 4
Last night at the P&F meeting, it was agreed to provide icy poles on Thursdays for the children free of charge for the rest of this term. THANK YOU to the amazing P&F.
FOOTY & FAIRY DAY - Thursday 22 October Football/Fairy Day is a long-standing tradition at St Pats and allows the children to dress up as a footballer/fairy/supporter/umpire OR a combination. With the Grand Final holiday taking place on Friday October 23, the children can dress up on Thursday October 22.
There will be free icy poles from the P&F too.
Pat Care thank you
Thanks to all of the families supporting Pat Care with meals and vouchers. Our community is truly blessed.
Have a great weekend and stay safe and well. Hopefully we will get some good news about lifting lockdown restrictions.
As parents and carers of the children who know Mrs Barclay, we are asking you to speak to your children over the weekend about her health situation. We feel it is your privilege and responsibility to have this sensitive discussion with them. You know your children the best.
From Monday, our teachers will support the children as part of daily class prayers and give opportunities to those children who wish, to talk, write and draw their thoughts and special memories.
Yellow Clothes
On Friday October 16 we invite the children to wear yellow to send a message of love and support for Mrs Barclay and her family. Mrs Oliver, our Learning Diversity Leader, will be available for any children who would like to talk during the week.
During this sensitive time for our community, we will not be fundraising. Individual families can choose to contribute to the gofundme funds for the Barclay family as per the Flexibuzz communication.
We will continue the Patcare meals and the family are grateful for our ongoing support.
3 sleeps to go !! Staggered start and finish times based on family surnames
Based on our past experiences and your feedback, families will be able to drop off and pick up at the same time from Monday. Therefore, the times are based around the first initial of your child's surname......
Students who attend primary school in Prep to Year 6 are not required to wear a face mask. Students who are aged 12 or over by Year 6 who are attending primary school are not required to wear face masks at school. (CECV School Operation Guide 4 Oct 2020)
School Cleaning
Five extra hours of cleaning high touch surfaces will continue this term again (3 hours during the school day ).
Extra points to note:
Children will need a drink bottle
Hand sanitiser will be supplied, children can also bring their own
Children will wear Summer uniform and MUST have their Summer school hat
A reminder about sunscreen
Lunch orders will recommence on Monday 12 October
School loaned devices must be returned on Monday 12 October
Prep Parent 2021 Information Evening
A big thank you to all of the parents who joined our Zoom meting on Tuesday evening. Thanks to our staff and parents who presented including Victoria Jones Nguyen (PEB chair), Jenny Jones ( P&F co chair) and Cathy and Nathan Byrne (Year 1 parents) for sharing your experiences with the families. Forty-eight participants joined the meeting. Below are links to 6 short videos recorded during the meeting. In particular we thank Cathy and Nathan Byrnes for this video they made themselves for our meeting.
Kellie Heathcote continues to run the second hand uniform shop off-site. With the change of season and incoming Preps, we are very short of larger sizes and girls dresses, but also expect a big demand for smaller sizes once prep orientation starts.
Good quality uniform items for donation can be dropped at Kellie's home, or collection can be arranged. If you can help, or would like to purchase an item, please contact Kellie via: heathcote.kellie@yahoo.com
Please note there is a 2 week transition period into the Summer uniform.
PatCare
(PatCare) is a long-standing group that supports members of our local community during times of need.
Its volunteer base is coordinated through the St Patrick’s Parents & Friends Association.
How it works
Liz Hills will engage with families or individuals experiencing serious illness, grief or other hardship to identify what support PatCare would be appreciated, for example a meal or two. We also support families with new babies to help in that initial busy period. Liz will then liaise with our PatCare coordinator, who then contacts the next volunteer on the rotating list. Volunteers may be called upon only once or twice a year, depending on the number of volunteers available. The meal will be delivered to the school, and Liz will arrange delivery to the recipient.
How to get involved
Sarah Luck (mum to William in Prep) is our PatCare coordinator. If you think you can assist, please drop her an email:
If you are in a position to purchase a digital gift card from any of the leading supermarkets, Liz Hill will be able to provide them to those in need. Please email the gift cards to:
Andrew here, your TeamKids Before and After School Care Director.
Here is a short video clip we have created for you which has some information on what we have been up to over the past few weeks and some details on the new play spaces and displays created for Term 4.
We have heaps more planned and look forward to providing your children with lots of fun and engaging activities at before and after school!
If you are new to TeamKids or would like to find out more, click here https://teamkids.com.au/ to go straight to our website or give us a call to find out more about our daily experiences and specialised Clubs.’
No doubt you will have heard the announcement by Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday.
We believe that with your support, we can safely welcome every student back onsite on the first day of Week 2.
We are thrilled to be welcoming ALL students (Prep - Year 6) back onsite on Monday 12 October. We can't wait !!!
We wanted to provide you with our details well in advance to give everyone a chance to prepare.
We are keen to ensure that Term 4 is the best term ever for all of our students !! We have included some extra event dates below for the whole community ( there are still more to come ). Along with this, there will be a surprise activity for all year levels every Friday. Of course, our Year 6 students have a number of special Year 6 events planned too. Once we can confirm modified end of year graduation plans with Father Leenus, we will share these with you too.
Below are the reviewed arrangements we are putting in place to ensure we maintain physical distancing especially at the start and finish of the school day.
Please email principal@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions about these new arrangements.
Team Kids will work with us to ensure all students are accommodated at all times.
Staggered start and finish times based on family surnames
Based on our past experiences and your feedback, families to drop off and pick up at the same time. Therefore, the times below are based around the first initial of your child's surname.
All children will enter the grounds independently and proceed straight inside to their classrooms.
Parents and carers are reminded not to linger on the footpaths outside the school grounds to prevent congestion for other families especially around the entrance gates.
Children arriving via scooters and bikes can enter via the front gates ( Prep, Years 1 and 2) and the backyard gates ( Years 3, 4, 5 and 6) and proceed straight to the bicycle storage area.
Extra points to note:
Children will need a drink bottle
Hand sanitiser will be supplied, children can also bring their own
Children will wear Summer uniform and MUST have their Summer school hat
A reminder about sunscreen
Lunch orders will recommence on Monday 12 October
School loaned devices must be returned on Monday 12 October
Next week we will share further details once we receive the updated Term 4 Operating Guidelines from Catholic Education Melbourne.
Second Hand Uniform
The secondhand uniform shop is operating remotely. Please email heathcote.kellie@yahoo.com for enquiries stating the type and size of uniforms you are looking for. Good quality secondhand uniforms, hats and bags are always gratefully received (no holes). Please also email Kellie for drop off location. Items must not be dropped at school.
Term Dates
Beginning of Term 4 October 5 (Flexible Learning at home P-6) Onsite supervision for children of permitted workers
"I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Ps. 9:1
Congratulations and Thank you
This is the seventeenth community update for this term - what a term it has been for all of us !! Amidst the many challenges of the Stage 4 lockdown restrictions, we can be satisfied that our combined efforts to educate the children to the best of our ability have been well worth it.
On behalf of the staff, I thank all of you for the way you worked in partnership with the school to ensure Term 3 Flexible Learning was a success. We have received numerous emails of thanks for our staff and we are all grateful for the positive feedback you have shared with us. Here is some of our feedback:
" ...We appreciate the teachers have gone above and beyond to support us and the kids.." Prep and Yr 2 parent
"..A big thank you to the wonderful staff at St Patrick's...they keep the kids busy whilst providing regular positive feedback..." Year 3 parent
" ....is so energised and happy to log on each morning..the home schooling has been a great experience because of how well prepared and energising you were each day." Yr 6 parent
"..Thank you for your commitment, support and care..I am certainly seeing growth, resilience and maturity...thank you for the key role you are playing..." Yr 6 parent
"..we are loving your work in the school assemblies absolutely fantastic to watch. Shows so much passion for what you do thank you.." Yr 1 parent
'' .. thank you for all your great work..is flourishing under your direction and support..." Yr 5 parents
".. we really appreciate the time you take to review each piece of work, the feedback and messages you write back... feel connected, stay accountable and be motivated..." Yr 4 parent
"..can I once again thank you and your team for the selfless and supportive way in which you have helped us. .. we appreciate everything you are doing to support our children..."
I am so proud of our staff who continued to rise to the challenge of Flexible Learning this term. The staff record their weekly student interactions, including the class, group, individual and social sessions and share them with me every week. This has enabled us to gather data across the school and continue reviewing and reflecting on our practise to ensure we meet the needs of all students.
My time spent with the SRC leaders gives me an opportunity to connect with children from Year 1 to Year 6 and learn what is important to them. They are representative of their classes and their ideas for being a voice in the community are invaluable. Their focus on wellbeing with tips to encourage us to express our gratitude and to remain positive are vital. At yesterday's meeting, the SRC voted to share their own thanks to the community.
Here is one heartfelt message of thanks:
We look forward to welcoming all of the children onsite next term after a well deserved break.
Thanks from the staff
Special thanks from the staff to the P&F for the thoughtful treats provided for every staff member at the end of the term.
SRC 2 Wellbeing Tips #3 After lockdown
What are you looking forward to after lockdown ?
Virtual Assembly Video #14
Thanks for the feedback around the assemblies.
We will keep working on those transformations !!
Onsite restrictions Term 4
At this stage, the Term 4 guidelines for children onsite remain the same as for Term 3. Both parents need to have a workers permit and be working away from home. Please email principal@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au for further details or enquiries.
Hugh in Year 1 came up with a great idea. He created the Little Tree house swap box and put it out in front of the family letterbox each day.
The family let everyone in Year 1 know on the group whatsapp chat and it was a huge success. They've had lots of visitors and created a stop off for those that are out on their daily walk.
Here is a photo of Hugh, a very happy young man with his idea.
School Fees Update
As expressed in previous updates, please contact principal@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au for circumstances of financial hardship.
At the start of Term 4 we will send updated school adjustment letters in relation to credits for Camp fees and Sports Levies.
Many of the year levels have already held incursions and are planning further incursions in Term 4. We will notify you of any further credit adjustments to the fees including information on the Sacramental levies next term.
Second Hand Uniform
The secondhand uniform shop is operating remotely. Please email heathcote.kellie@yahoo.com for enquiries stating the type and size of uniforms you are looking for. Good quality secondhand uniforms, hats and bags are always gratefully received (no holes). Please also email Kellie for drop off location. Items must not be dropped at school.
Term Dates
Beginning of Term 4 October 5 (Flexible Learning P-6)
Prep 2021 Parent's Orientation October 6
Parent Teacher Meetings. October 8
Prep, Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Return October 12
Session 1 Prep 2021 Transition October 13
Session 2 Prep 2021 TransitionOctober 20
Session 3 Prep 2021 Transition October 27
Parish Education Board October 28
Little Food Festival For all those in lockdown over the holidays the Little Food Festival will be held virtually this year on September 30th. Sponsored by Monash Education and the City of Melbourne it combines great guest speakers and children's activities including sustainability, cooking, gardening, growing food in suburban environments and Citizen Science Mine-craft build challenges and games. Families can register online to download the program, activities and resources
